Paris hosted the 1889 world’s fair where the Eiffel Tower was unveiled. The Exposition Universelle opened on 6 May 1889 as part of celebrations marking the centenary of the French Revolution.
The Eiffel Tower served as the fair’s entrance arch and became its most recognisable structure. Designed by the engineering firm of Gustave Eiffel, it was built from wrought iron and stood about 300 metres tall at its original completion, making it the world’s tallest man-made structure at the time.
The tower was controversial among many Parisian artists and writers, who criticised its appearance. It was intended to be temporary, but its usefulness as a radio and communications structure helped preserve it.
The exhibition also displayed new technologies and national pavilions. The fair attracted millions of visitors and helped present France as a centre of engineering, industry, culture, and modern national identity.